Pakistan: Cherat Cement’s turnover grew by 35% to US$45.6m in the half year to 31 December 2019 from US$61.6m in the same period in 2018. However, its operating profit more than halved to US$2.4m from US$6.2m due to a 50% increase in its cost of sales.

Colombia: Finland’s Wärtsilä has signed a further four-year extension to its operation and maintenance (O&M) agreement with Cemex Colombia. The original agreement was started in 1998 and it has now been extended to the end of 2023. Cemex’s integrated Caracolito cement plant uses a 26MW power plant operating on five Wärtsilä 18-cylinder 34SG engines in V-configuration running on natural gas. Wärtsilä employs 15 personnel in the running of the power plant, all of whom were hired locally.

Tunisia: Carthage Cement has obtained CE marking for its products to help it penetrate the European market. It plans to start a 0.15Mt cement export contract in March 2020.

Austria: Refractory manufacturer RHI Magnesita has launched a digital hub in Vienna to support the development of so-called ‘Industry 4.0’ initiatives. Projects the new hub will explore include automated process optimisation in data analysis and quick (QCK) and broadband spectral thermometer (BST) in measurement.